Commuters faced a frustrating ordeal, trapped for over three hours in a major Sydney tunnel due to emergency roadworks prompted by concerns over potentially falling concrete from the tunnel’s roof.

This morning, the M4 Motorway Tunnel was closed to westbound traffic between Haberfield and North Strathfield to address these urgent structural repairs.

While one westbound lane has since been reopened, drivers are still encouraged to seek alternative routes to avoid delays.

“The situation is undeniably unacceptable,” stated Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison.

“We are now more than seven and a half hours into this, and it remains a significant challenge,” she added.

Aitchison said people have reported waiting in the tunnels “for three and a half up to four hours”.

“The communication here has not been good enough,” she said.

“We are urging everybody to delay travel if they can or go other roads.

“It is beyond frustrating that people are sitting in their offices in Sydney right now or out on the street or going about their days or being shopkeepers and they cannot rely on this critical piece of infrastructure that is owned by the private operator.”

Motorists are being diverted via Wattle Street and being urged to avoid the M4 tunnel.

“We are doing everything we can to try and assist them to get it open quickly and we will continue to do that,” Aitchison said.

Motorists heading westbound can also use Parramatta Road, but are advised to allow extra travel time due to significant delays. 

“It was very disturbing to me to hear that (motorists) were saying in the tunnel they were just being told that the tunnel was closed,” Aitchison said.

“That is not useful information, I expressed that to Transurban.”

There are also delays on multiple nearby roads.

Transport for NSW coordinator general Howard Collins said “large bulges were noticed in the tunnel roof” and that officials “made the right call” in the closure.

“Their overnight inspection of the tunnel meant that they wished to keep the tunnel closed,” he said.

“We have offered engineers, all sorts of equipment.

“Unfortunately, those offers have not been readily accepted.”

He said he was hoping for a “quicker response” given the seriousness of the issue.

“If there was a major issue with the shotcrete, it could fall on vehicles,” he said.

All citybound lanes of the M4 tunnel are still open.

A closure is also being put in place at Sydney Gateway so motorists from the airport will not be able to access the M8 and M4 tunnels.

Motorists from the airport will still be able to access the M8 tunnel towards the M5.

Motorway crews remain on site, and it is still unknown when the tunnel will reopen.